Red Rose [Never Let You Go, Again Book 3]

5: Bouquets of Love

Wei Wuxian silently slithered out of Lan Wangji's grasp and crept along the bed onto the floor. Quietly climbing up and putting on an outer robe of Lan Zhan's — because his own were somewhere far away in the corner of the room — he tiptoed away from the bed. With one look at his dozing husband, he smiled and slipped out of the window. 

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Having reached the shack, he walked to the door and knocked on it lightly. "Huli? You in there?"

"Master?" Zhang Huli asked as she opened the door wide. "Master, what on earth are you doing here at four in the morning? It's not five yet, you should be asleep."

"Sh! Listen, is A-Ning at home? Or has he gone somewhere?"

"Why's Master asking me?" Zhang Huli grinned.

"I don't want to creep all the way there in this cold if he isn't, but also can't disturb him if he's... You know, busy," Wei Wuxian winked.

Zhang Huli winked back, saying, "I went to check a while ago, last night. Lady Lan was there so I slipped out again. Master better knock decently before going in."

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Good, good, I'll be decent for once, then. Thanks, Huli."

"Anytime, Master," Huli nodded, watching Wei Wuxian stroll away. 

**********

Wei Wuxian walked up to the gate to the hut and undid the latch. The gate creaked open as he stepped into the beautiful garden covered in flower beds all around. Wei Wuxian grinned as he strolled among the flowers, running his hand through the petals. "Hmph," he laughed, "Lan Qiang, ah, Lan Qiang, no matter what ward you put at the gate you should know I can get through," he chuckled as he looked back at the gate where an orange ward was fading away under his talisman. "That busy inside, huh? Guess I'll have to wait a while..."

"Young Master Wei?"

"A-Ning?" Wei Wuxian spun around to see Wen Ning walking out to meet him. "Oh, so now you've got complete sets of robes? Night robes, too? Not bad, A-Ning!"

Wen Ning smiled. "Young Master Wei came here so early for...?"

"A-Ning, all these flowers, are you planning on putting up a flower shop?"

Wen Ning shook his head.

"But if you do, you'd make a lot of money! Look at all these pretty little things!" Wei Wuxian could hear pots and pans clattering inside. "She's cooking?"

"Mn," Wen Ning nodded. "Young Master Wei, I don't need money anyway."

"You don't need it for you, but what about for her? You know, impress her with things?"

"Impress?" Wen Ning blinked.

Wei Wuxian laughed and put an arm around his shoulder. "Like you could get beautiful new robes for you to wear and impress her, instead of those dirty old black ones. Or you could buy her things! Rarer flowers, jewellery–"

"She doesn't wear jewellery."

"Right, being the simple Lan she is... Then chocolate?"

Wen Ning shook his head again.

"Ah? Who doesn't like chocolate?"

"She only eats something called... Car... Cara-something."

"Caramel chocolate?"

Wen Ning jumped in glee. "Yes! Caramel chocolate. Said she got some back when she was with her father but hasn't had it afterwards. I tried looking around but there seems to be no caramel chocolate in Gusu... Or Yunmeng..."